Ace The Black Stallion: Mystery Horse Lover's Series, #1

By Ann Feifel

AMAZON REVIEWS:
Donna wrote: "This story drew me in, and I couldn't put it down until I came to the end! "
DPeer wrote: " Definitely left me wanting more story to be told. Looking forward to the next book.

GOODREADS REVIEWS:
Tina Collins wrote: "Ann Feifel has written a beautiful debut novel, using her own personal experiences with horses and her love of both domestic and wild animals."
Sam wrote: "A must read for any horse lover!!! The author, Ann Feifel sure knows her way in the horse ring and her love and knowledge of horses makes Ace a great read!"

                                                                                ~RANCHERS, RIDERS, AND ROGUES~
Jean, a highly-qualified equestrian instructor, is at her wits' end. She struggles to teach disrespectful brats at an elite riding academy, but her efforts fall on deaf ears. She dreams of owning a horse ranch in the country. Martin's affluent career produces nothing but headaches. He wants to hear birds chirping, not horns blaring, and sirens wailing. They leave the city behind, and turn a decrepit farmstead into a successful Quarter horse broodmare ranch.

Imagine Julia's excitement when her beloved mare gives birth to a stunning black colt. Her excitement turns to heart-wrenching sorrow, when yet another tragedy occurs, and the newborn foal must watch his mother being taken away. Julia must push her grief aside to help Ace, and keep her mother's dream alive.

Renson, a cranky, old-time rancher, encounters a young mare who refuses to submit to his ruthless training methods.

Two horses disappear under mysterious circumstances.
Searchers come up empty handed, but Julia stumbles upon the key to their disappearance.
WHY SHOULD SHE KEEP IT A SECRET?

A perfect blend of HORSES, MYSTERY, DRAMA, AND EXCITEMENT.
Buckle your spurs and hold on, as the pages take you through an amazing tale, right up to the climactic ending that draws you in and leaves you wanting more.
Clean with no sexual content, violence, or foul language. Ideal for pre-teens, young adults, and folks who are never too old to appreciate a good story about horses.

Watch for book 2, of Ann's "Mystery Horse-Lover's Series"
The story of ACE continues in the exciting sequel, ~SAVING SNOW DRAGON~

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ann Feifel
• Release date: Jan 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781777301507

Ann Feifel

Ann Feifel lives in Ontario with her husband, and two spoiled little dogs. She and her family members are all animal lovers, both domestic and wild. The first time Ann was lifted as a toddler onto the back of horse, so began her love for horses, and reading stories about horses. She has created two heart-warming books that she would have loved to read as her younger self and would enjoy reading even now. ACE The Black Stallion is Ann’s first novel. She began writing it in 2016, after a road trip through Wyoming... a most beautiful state! Seeing the feral horses that live free, provided fodder for her to create a story of HORSES, MYSTERY, DRAMA, AND EXCITEMENT. SAVING SNOW DRAGON, sequel to ACE, was a pleasurable two-year work in progress. So many readers enjoyed ACE and encouraged her to write the sequel, SAVING SNOW DRAGON PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW... REVIEWS ENCOURAGE AUTHORS TO KEEP WRITING, AND HELP OTHER READERS TO FIND BOOKS THEY WOULD ENJOY. THANK YOU.

Book preview

ACE, THE BLACK STALLION

___________

Ann Feifel

Copyright © 2020 Ann Feifel

The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons or horses, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

***

In writing this fictional novel, I've taken some literary freedom. Any exaggerations, opinions, or mistakes are mine alone, be it about the area this story is based upon, the care and handling of domesticated horses, wild mustangs, or anything else.

Please note:

~HORSE-RELATED DEFINITIONS~

Located in the back section of the book

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, without written permission from the author.

Book and Cover design by Ann Feifel

Photo credit for book cover: Adéla Holubová at pixabay.com

For Olivia,

My sunshine, and inspiration.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 10

CHAPTER 11

CHAPTER 12

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 14

CHAPTER 15

CHAPTER 16

CHAPTER 17

HORSE-RELATED WORDS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PROLOGUE

It was Friday, the last class of the day. Julia Beemer shuffled in her seat, impatient for the bell to ring. She glanced again at the clock above the classroom door. Fourteen minutes to go. Her English teacher’s monotone voice droned on, reading a passage from Shakespeare’s play, The Taming of the Shrew. The only shrew on Julia’s mind was Casia, Julia’s cranky sixteen-year-old chestnut Quarter Horse mare, who might be having her foal this very minute.

Nearing the end of this last pregnancy, Casia had not been her good-natured self. The gentle mare’s hostile behavior was abnormal, and it concerned Julia and her father, Martin. The other broodmares had learned to keep their distance from her in the paddock. If they got too close, she pinned her ears, bared her teeth, and lunged at them. Out of character, she’d even pinned her ears at Julia when she brushed her, or entered her stall with a feed bucket. While doing chores, Julia often heard her squeal and kick the walls of her stall. Julia and her father knew it would be a big foal. The poor mare struggled to move around with her massive belly.

Subconsciously, her teacher registered the irritating tic, tic, tic of fingernails on a desk nearby. He stopped mid-sentence, lowered his book, and peered directly at Julia over his wire-framed glasses. Somehow, he knew it was her. Without a word, his raised eyebrows and cold eyes made the point. Heat rose in her cheeks. She clenched her fists and dropped her hands to her lap. The teacher bent his head to resume reading his insufferable book. She sighed and snuck another look at the clock. Thirteen minutes.

***

Julia had grown into an attractive sixteen-year-old. Her fine honey-blonde hair accented her smooth complexion and graceful contours of her face. She was slender and toned from years of horseback riding and helping with chores. Julia’s cheery smile and friendly disposition drew people to her, but she kept only a select few horse-crazy girlfriends. Now and then, her warm green eyes reflected a deep shade of melancholy. Only those close to her detected and understood why fleeting moments of sadness crept across her face.

Although Julia was a year older, a group of boys in their sophomore year elbowed each other in the ribs, as she approached in the hallway. Heads turned and eyes followed in unison, as she passed. Crude wolf whistles pierced the air as they admired her tush. Julia pretended not to notice, but their hormone-fueled eagerness brought an amused smile to her face. A few boys from her classes had asked her out on dates. They’d seemed so immature, rambling on about cars, and other topics that she had no interest in. To her, horses were far more fun and appealing than any guy she’d ever met.

Julia had little interest in fashion trends and the latest styles. She preferred comfort, rather than fussing with her appearance. Her makeup case collected dust on her dresser; the contents, a lonely tube of lipstick, one eyeliner pencil, and a stick of blush, still in the wrapper. She gathered her shoulder-length hair into a messy ponytail. Most often, she wore a plain t-shirt tucked into blue jeans, and a comfortable pair of sneakers. The only embellishment to her outfit was an embossed silver buckle on a hand-tooled leather belt that Julia wore with pride. A few years earlier, she’d collected the most points to win the Western Youth Championship at regional riding competitions. At the year’s-end banquet, the show committee had presented her with the belt and buckle, along with a gilded trophy with her name engraved.

Julia’s school, like every high school in America, had its share of snotty girls who thrived on gossip, insults, and intimidation. They hovered over their table in the cafeteria like a pack of wolves, leaning in close to whisper and giggle about their latest victim. The various scents of their perfume permeated the area with an offensive stench. Julia cringed at the sound of their evil giggles. She had no tolerance for bullies. If she overheard them being nasty to another student, she’d step in and stare them down. In fact, Julia presented a challenge for these snobs. They respected Julia for it. Whenever her name arose, they could never seem to dig up any dirty details about her. The only minor faults they could find were Julia’s lack of fashion, and that, Ugh, she often smelled like she lived in a horse barn.

CHAPTER 1

~Jean and Martin, a new start~

––––––––

Before Julia was born, her parents, Jean and Martin Beemer, lived in Denver, Colorado. At the time they met, Jean was in her mid-twenties. An avid horsewoman, she had bouncy short blonde hair, a tanned complexion, and an upbeat personality, one who could laugh at anything, including herself. She had a kind and caring heart, especially to animals. Her lively green eyes and warm smile lit up the room when she talked about horses, or other topics she was passionate about.

She and Martin had met one evening in a ballroom, at what Martin’s boss from the head office had promised would be a gala event. Instead, it had deflated into a boring flop, soon after waitresses scurried to clear the tables following a tasteless meal.

Single, and nearing thirty, Martin sat at a table with other successful accountants and their partners. Motion at the entrance caught his eye. A striking blonde in a sleek black dress caught a heel and stumbled, but steadied herself on the arm of her date, a colleague of Martin’s. He must have cracked a joke about her shoes. She looked down, and Martin could hear the tinkle of her laughter across the room. Martin followed their progress to a nearby table. He kept glancing at her through the meal.

After the meal, Jean’s date sat slumped forward in his chair, glassy-eyed and non-verbal. He’d pushed his plate aside and had gulped down almost an entire bottle of wine, leaving Jean to fend for herself, at a table full of strangers.

Unaware she was being watched, she’d collected her clutch and made her way to the bar. Martin’s eyes sparkled with amusement at this perky little blonde who sat so unladylike, with her heels hooked over the rung of the barstool, tugging at the hem of her short dress, awkwardly attempting to cover her muscular thighs.

Martin excused himself from his table and wove his way through the crowd towards the bar. Can I buy you a drink? he asked.

She turned to the handsome stranger who stood beside her in a tan Armani suit. No thanks, I was just about to call a taxi, she replied, glancing back with a scowl at the loser she’d arrived with.

Then I shall sit with you, m’lady, until it arrives, he’d answered, playfully mimicking an English accent. Not in the mood for humor, she responded with a crooked smile, as he slid out the stool beside her.

She couldn’t help but notice his angular, clean-shaven face and neatly trimmed brown hair bearing a few wisps of premature gray at his temples. Kind brown eyes, the color of wren’s eggs, matched his warm smile, and she caught a pleasant waft of his cologne. He loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt.

There, that’s better, he said, as uncomfortable in his suit, as she’d appeared to be in her dress. He stuck out his hand, Martin Beemer, at your service, he said, once more in his ridiculous accent.

Jean, she replied, feeling the soft warmth of his hand.

So, what do you do? he asked.

I teach riding lessons to a spoiled group of girls, she replied, and told him a few humorous tales about the stables she taught at.

The closest Martin had been to a horse was when it had trotted past him in a parade. Clueless about the topic, he listened as Jean talked passionately about horses, teaching, and riding.

Suddenly self-conscious, Jean paused when she realized she’d been blabbing on to a complete stranger. The thought crossed her mind that she was more at ease with him, than the pre-sloshed date she’d known for over a month.

Okay, that’s me, she said, now what about you?

It was well after midnight when Jean finally called for a taxi. Martin had offered her a ride, but she’d refused. Instead, she reached